Under the aegis of the Government of India, a two-day workshop was organised by the Patanjali Organic Research Institute and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), in collaboration with Bharuwa Agriscience, at the auditorium of the Patanjali Research Foundation and Patanjali University under the “Swastha Dhaara” Yojana on “Sustainable Cultivation of Quality Medicinal Plants” through Soil Testing and Management” on October 27–28.
The workshop was organised in the context of the automated soil testing machine “Dharti Ka Doctor” (DKD), with the objective of promoting and strengthening sustainable agriculture and long-term food security at the global level.
Acharya Balkrishna, Vice-Chancellor of Patanjali University, welcomed the chief guests with bouquets. The programme began with the guests lighting the ceremonial lamp and a group song rendered by Dr. Archna Tiwari and her team. Dr. K.N. Sharma, Director, Bharuwa Agriscience, delivered the welcome address. Acharya Balkrishna and the guests launched the books “Swastha Dhaara” and “Medicinal Plants: International Journal of Phytomedicine and Related Industries.”
Shaji K.V., NABARD President, said that the prime objective of NABARD is to promote sustainable cultivation and rural development, and to offer loans in the handicraft, agriculture, small industries, and rural craft sectors. Increasing investment in sustainable cultivation and rural development is the need of the hour.
Highlighting Patanjali’s future plans, Shaji K.V. said that the company is focusing on increasing farmers’ income, promoting organic farming, and adopting natural agricultural practices. He stated that this year is extremely important in the direction of realising the goal of a Developed India by 2027. There is a strong possibility of India becoming a developed nation by the end of this financial year. He also talked about monoculture farming, which primarily aims to increase production and profit, but leads to a decline in soil fertility and negatively impacts biodiversity.
Acharya Ji said that protecting crops is essential for safeguarding human health. The time has come to restore the soil we have inherited from our ancestors to its original state and to eliminate its “deficiencies.” Patanjali’s GK machine is proving to be instrumental in overcoming soil-related challenges and making the earth disease-free.
